Acute Pericarditis Hiding an Esophageal Perforation

Esophageal perforations due to foreign body ingestion are uncommon; however, they can be associated with extremely high mortality rate. The most dreadful complication of this entity is the infection of adjacent structures, namely, the mediastinum and the pericardium. A prompt diagnosis and a precocious start of treatment are essential to the prognosis. Thus, a high degree of suspicion is required, especially in older patients. Therapeutic options are highly variable, depend on several factors, and should be individualized to every patient and their clinical status. Surgical treatment with esophageal exclusion and diversion, in extreme circumstances, is mandatory to control the infection source site and prevent further contamination. We report a case of esophageal perforation, presenting 48 hours after onset, that led to multifactorial shock (septic and cardiogenic) due to pericarditis with pericardial and pleural effusion.